Garcia, who is in camp on a minor league contract that will pay him $1.5 million if he makes the team and has $3.6 million in performance bonuses, won 12 games for the White Sox last year.

He is competing with Ivan Nova, Bartolo Colon, Sergio Mitre and Hector Noesi for the final two spots in the rotation. Last season’s dozen wins would appear to cast Garcia in the favorite role but he isn’t looking at it that way.

“I don’t worry about anybody else. I have to worry about myself,” Garcia said. “If I don’t worry about myself, I am [screwed]. That’s the bottom line.”

“You can’t put a lot of stock in bullpens this early in camp because I think it’s unfair to do that,” manager Joe Girardi said. “The last thing I want is them to try and do too much because that’s when you get hurt.”

*

Weight seems to be a popular topic in the Yankees’ universe. Earlier in the week, general manager Brian Cashman
said Joba Chamberlain
looked “heavier.”

Yesterday, Colon admitted he might not have enough time to shed the pounds he wants to lose while attempting to making the club.

“I would like to go down 25 pounds,” said the 37-year-old Colon, who admitted to weighing 267. “But that will be hard to do.”

Colon, who hasn’t pitched since 2009 due to shoulder problems, hurled this offseason in the Dominican Winter League and said he was pleased with the experience.

“I feel really happy. I don’t throw as hard like I used to but I am throwing a lot of strikes,” said Colon, whose minor league contract is for $900,000 if he makes the team.

*

Position players report to camp today and the first full-squad workout is tomorrow. . . . Girardi said Rafael Soriano
, who was paid $35 million to set up Mariano Rivera
, will begin throwing off a mound sometime next week. Rivera will “be maybe longer.”

“It’s good because we have never worked together,” Sabathia said of the 8:30 sessions. “I am getting good feedback.”

A.J. Burnett
, Phil Hughes
, Nova, Chamberlain and Sabathia have all thrown for Rothschild in the morning alone, so the coach doesn’t have to watch five pitchers at the same time.

Because Rothschild is new it was assumed he was using the morning sessions to get to know his pitchers. However, he has done it in the past even when he knew the pitchers better than he does Yankees hurlers.

*

Noesi, a fringe candidate to land a rotation spot, likely is to arrive in camp tomorrow. He has been delayed in the Dominican Republic due to a visa problem.

“I hope it doesn’t have much impact,” Girardi said. “I hope he has been throwing.”